Giovanna Fletcher Breaks Down as She Opens Up About Son’s Quiet School Struggle Few Parents Talk About

Giovanna Fletcher discussing her son’s school difficulties. 5 Giovanna Fletcher struggled to hold back the tears as she opened up about her son’s heartbreaking school struggleCredit: tiktok/@happymumhappybaby

The mum-of-three fought back tears as she revealed the emotional reality behind a little-known school issue affecting her family.

She covered her face as she wiped away her tearsCredit: tiktok/@happymumhappybaby

Giovanna Fletcher has broken down in tears after bravely opening up about her son’s heartbreaking struggle with school — an issue that many parents quietly face, but few openly discuss.

The 2020 I’m A  Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! winner, who shares three sons with husband Tom Fletcher, became visibly emotional while speaking on her Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast.

She and McFly singer Tom Fletcher have three sons together – Buzz, 11, Buddy, nine and six-year-old MaxCredit: instagram/mrsgifletcher

During a deeply personal episode, Giovanna revealed that one of her boys is living with Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) — a condition that makes attending school feel emotionally overwhelming, despite a child wanting to go.

Fighting back tears as she spoke to Child Therapist and Anxiety Specialist Saskia Joss, Giovanna described months of emotional strain as her family tried to help their child return to school.

“We had months and months of trying to get one of our kids into school,” she said, her voice breaking.
“And when he said to me one day — because he couldn’t always explain what it was — he said, ‘I want to, but I can’t.’”

That single sentence, she admitted, changed everything.

“That just meant everything,” Giovanna continued. “For us, we were like, ‘We get it.’
You have to honour that feeling.”

Giovanna chose not to reveal which of her sons is affected. She and Tom are parents to Buzz, 11, Buddy, nine, and six-year-old Max.

Therapist Saskia explained that EBSA is often misunderstood — and can be just as distressing for parents as it is for children.

“People don’t understand how difficult EBSA is — for parents and for the children,” she said.
“For the child, it’s absolutely awful.”

She explained that children with EBSA often feel intense fear around school — even though they desperately want to attend.

“It’s not children saying, ‘I don’t want to go,’” Saskia stressed.
“They want to go — but they can’t.”

She compared the feeling to facing danger at every turn.

“It can feel like there’s a lion waiting at the school gate… in the classroom… in the playground.
They just can’t step inside.”

Giovanna revealed that her son was offered a designated “safe space” at school in an attempt to support him — but it wasn’t enough.

Saskia went on to explain that while schools may believe they are offering support, their solutions can sometimes add pressure rather than relieve it.

“Some schools say, ‘They can have a reduced timetable — but they must attend English and maths,’” she said.
“That simply doesn’t work for families dealing with EBSA.”

She explained that EBSA often requires flexibility, patience, and a deep understanding of emotional triggers — both inside school and at home.

Giovanna later admitted that one of the hardest parts of living with EBSA is simply getting a child through the school doors — and keeping them there.

“The fear feels out of their control,” Saskia added.
“We have to understand what started that fear — and whether something else in their life is weighing them down.”

EBSA can be linked to anxiety, emotional distress, or worries about home life — including fears about leaving a parent who may be unwell or vulnerable.

Listeners quickly flooded the comments section with their own emotional stories.

One parent shared:

“My son ended up on a feeding tube because of EBSA. He was only four.
He’s now thriving in a specialist school — something I never thought I’d see.”

Another added:

“I had this as a teenager in the 90s. No one understood it back then.
It felt like monsters were waiting for me.”

A third described EBSA as similar to agoraphobia — “the same gripping fear, just in a different place.”

What is EBSA?
Emotionally Based School Avoidance describes children and young people who struggle to attend school due to overwhelming negative emotions. It is often associated with anxiety, physical distress, and emotional fear — and is sometimes referred to as school anxiety or school refusal.

As Giovanna’s emotional conversation made clear, EBSA is not about defiance — but about fear, vulnerability, and a child’s quiet battle that often goes unseen.